Cognitive and Brain Sciences are interdisciplinary field with applications in a number of fields like medical neuroscience, neural prosthetics, development of Artificial Intelligent Systems and Machine Learning, Behavioral Economics, and NeuroMarketing. The objective of the Master’s program in Cognitive Science is to offer students from different backgrounds, access to a breadth of knowledge and research techniques in a wide range of areas in Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
The program will follow a structure of four semesters with a total of eighty credits required for graduation. The basic framework of the curriculum includes core courses, electives, and a research project. The program places a strong emphasis on both – coursework and a research project.
The core courses establish a strong foundation for students coming from different backgrounds by offering a holistic understanding of cognitive science as a field of study. These courses equip students with a wide range of perspectives and approaches to cognition, the brain, and the mind.
The list of core courses:
Cognitive Psychology | Computation and Cognition | Philosophy of Mind |Fundamental Neuroscience |Research Methods | Experimental Techniques in Cognitive Science
Keeping in mind the interdisciplinary spirit of Cognitive Science, the course offers a broad range of electives:
Learning and Memory | Perception and Attention | Cognition & Emotion | Behavioural Economics| Decision making | Artificial Intelligence | Nature Inspired Computing | Computational Neuroscience | Introduction to Paleoneuropsychology | Cognition and Culture – Anthropological Perspectives on the Human Mind | Neurorehabilitation | NeuroDesign | Phenomenology | Computational Approaches to Animal Intelligence | Brain Imaging Methods | Human-Robot Interaction | Science Communication | Cognitive Linguistics
The MSc program places a strong emphasis on both coursework and research projects. The research project is compulsory for the award of an MSc degree. It is expected that the thesis project will result in high-quality scholarly publications and national and international conference presentations.
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Minimum Eligibility Criteria
Students who have a bachelor’s degree (e.g. BA, BSc, BTech, BCom, MBBS) in any discipline with a minimum of 55% (5.5 CGPA for students with letter grades/CGPA) aggregate marks for General/OBC category candidates and at least 50% (5.0 CGPA for students with letter grades/CGPA) aggregate marks for SC, ST and PD category candidates in the qualifying degree, are eligible to apply for admission to the Master’s program in Cognitive Science. Students who would be completing their bachelor’s degree in the current academic year are also eligible to apply.
The short-listing of the applications is based on the overall credentials (marks in the qualifying examinations, academic achievements and aptitude for cognitive science. The eligibility criteria mentioned above is minimum. The committee may use higher cut-off levels for shortlisting.
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Financial Support
Eligible candidates admitted to the MSc program will be able to apply for the ‘On-Campus Employment Opportunities Program’ at IIT Gandhinagar. The selected students will be allowed to work for a maximum of 10 hours per week during the semester and 40 hours per week during the vacations including mid semester breaks. The remuneration rates will be in the range of Rs.150-200 per hour and most of the students would start at the base rate and pay-hikes will be based on the performance and engagement.
Travel Scholarships
Institute encourages MSc students to present their research work at national and international conferences, and provides travel scholarships of up to Rs. 60,000/- to such students.
Hostel Facility
All students admitted to MSc Cognitive Science are eligible for hostel accommodation on a sharing basis.
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Application Procedure
All applications must be submitted online. You NEED NOT send the hard copy of the application form. However, you need to furnish hardcopy of the application form with photograph and all the documentary evidence in original (testimonials, certificates, publications, work experience and research/professional experience) at the time of interview. Incomplete applications will be rejected.
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Important Dates
- Application opens: December 01, 2023
- Application Deadline: 24 January, 2024
- Written Admission Test (online): February 17, 2024
- Interviews (offline): March 15-16, 2024
